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  • What are you currently making in the shed/garage/kitchen/patio/living room that's bee related

  • Bee Hive building & a place to share howto's on equipment
Bee Hive building & a place to share howto's on equipment
 #3209  by Chrisbarlow
 21 May 2019, 14:42
I use queen castles for mating queens, last year I used hive roofs on them but this made transporting difficult so I'm in the process of painting up a price of ply 46cm sq to use as a summer roof and adding 4 latches to secure it for transport. So far so good. The ones upgraded have remained rain proof and have been easier to transport.
 #3211  by Japey Edge
 21 May 2019, 21:18
I measured up an Abelo poly box and made a 3D model of it. Then I modeled up my design for the box I'm going to build and made a drawing of them stacked to make sure they sit properly and all the dimensions are correct.

I'm going to build my box from 8mm thick ply, with solid wood corner posts, then 12mm thick polystyrene insulation. Then I'll finish each side with pouring epoxy (effect yet to be determined - maybe some sort of marble look). I'm thinking of putting some chicken wire doubled over to protect from anything chewing through, before pouring the epoxy in.

Not trying any fancy toothed joints or anything, but I'll be making a jig so it's all square and what not. Hopefully will get a start on it this weekend. Annoying thing is the rip fence was missing in my brand new table saw!!! :x
 #3215  by Japey Edge
 22 May 2019, 08:40
Chrisbarlow wrote:
21 May 2019, 21:44
That sounds I interesting, how did you make the model? Ply or some sort foam?
I modelled it on my laptop using a 3D package. It's what I use for work anyway so I thought I'd model it up to identify any potential issues in making my first DIY box.
 #3225  by Japey Edge
 23 May 2019, 11:08
NigelP wrote:
22 May 2019, 19:56
At £25 for a brand new already painted Abelo brood box.....minimum wage at £7 an hour...how much are you saving?
Only the time will be the cost on this occasion. Plus, it'll be nice to see if this idea works out and I do a good job.
 #3278  by Chrisbarlow
 27 May 2019, 11:49
I would suggest this comes under the header of why people keep bees. Some to make cash, some for a good supply of honey, some because they enjoy wood work, some because they enjoy pottering, some for the benefit of the bees or surrounding area in general, some for the social side and some as an holistic hobby where it might be a bit of all the above.
 #3285  by Alfred
 28 May 2019, 08:13
You're at the root of it there Chris
It's so diverse.
I love making and mending things
I like trying new things and seeing if I can improve on old ideas(rare)
You don't need lots of tech and many items you can use to good effect are standard household goods.
I love the peace and quiet of my apiary
I have rapidly become more attuned to nature since the bees arrived.
Not overly bothered about honey and definitely not expecting to recoup any of the cash I've splashed.
Oddly ,even being a country boy, I'm still repulsed by most insects/arachnids- but not bees.
 #3324  by Japey Edge
 31 May 2019, 18:06
I bought a couple of pieces of 4mm perspex for £6 a piece the other day and cut one down to 460x460mm to use as a crown board. Just need some thin bits of timber to use for the framing.

I drilled a 30mm(ish) hole through it - badly! Caused a crack. I have a better hole cutter on the way and will use a better method (sacrificial wood underneath) next time.

Will come up with something to cover the hole as I'm not currently feeding. There are scrap bits of perspex I can use.

Anyone know the upper and lower tolerance for this central hole? I saw somewhere it had to be 33mm. Will 30mm or 35mm do?

My "hybrid" DIY national resin/poly/timber box hit a snag when my new table saw arrived without a rip fence... I'll be making one of those plywood sled things on YouTube!
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